


duality

by fnowae



Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: Crack Fic, I don't know, M/M, Magic, really no shipping in this one but tagging it as joetrick cause FUCK YOU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 13:22:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11715243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fnowae/pseuds/fnowae
Summary: Patrick is music.





	duality

**Author's Note:**

> this is weird. I don't know. have fun.

Patrick is music. 

It sounds weird, it sounds impossible, but it's true. He _is_ music. Quite literally. Music courses through his blood and changes him until he _becomes_ it. Any music that strays into his ears twists and shifts him until he's no longer him, he's the music. 

He likes music. He really does. But he doesn't like how it shapes him and changes him in a way beyond his control. 

And this is why he avoids it at all costs. 

He wears earplugs everywhere he goes, afraid that a stray bit of melody will catch his attention, that he'll hear something and he'll be the music before he can stop it. He avoids places that would contain music - record shops, clubs, department stores with ever persistent radio stations blasting throughout. He takes every precaution possible. 

And then, when he meets Joe, he does the absolute last thing he should have done. 

Joe asks him to join his band and god, why would he say yes? He needs to stay away from music - not get as close to it as possible. A band is the actual center of music. It would be unavoidable. 

In a fit of bad judgement, Patrick agrees. 

And that's how, the next day, he finds himself standing nervously on Joe's front porch, waiting for him to answer the door. 

Joe opens the door, grinning, and starts to talk, but Patrick can't hear. His earplugs are pushed in as far as they would go, at the risk of hearing anyone practicing.

"Is anyone playing music in there?" he asks loudly. 

Joe frowns and shakes his head. 

Patrick nods and pulls his earplugs out. "Alright, hi!"

Joe gives him a confused look. "What are you wearing earplugs for? Why do you care if someone is playing music? You do know you're joining a band, right?"

"That's a lot of questions, and I am going to answer none of them," Patrick responds, stepping neatly through the door and past Joe. 

"You're...still on for the band, right?" Joe asks slowly. 

"Mhm." Patrick nods, against his better judgement. 

"Okay..." Joe looks doubtful, but he shrugs. "We have another guy, but he's busy. Which is code for still fucking asleep. So, I was just going to show you some stuff I was working on, and-"

"Play music?" Patrick asks, regretting it immediately. 

"Uh, yeah?" Joe snorts. "Band. Remember? Playing music is kind of the point?"

"Yeah. Right." Patrick sighs. Why did he agree to this, again?

"I'm just gonna...play the thing for you," Joe says. 

"No!" Patrick blurts out before he can stop himself. He winces. "I mean...uh, can't you, like, record it and send it to me so I can listen to it alone?"

"Shit, man, what's your issue with listening to music?" Joe asks, perplexed. 

"It's nothing," Patrick lies. 

Joe shrugs and grabs a guitar that's leaning against the wall. "Anyways."

"No, no, Joe, please don't-" Patrick starts, but Joe doesn't stop. He starts playing something, and - and wow, what comes next is entirely new. 

The way music usually affects Patrick is intense - it literally physically changes him, shifts his eyes and his hair and his face until he's more the music than he is himself. And that's what he's always hated. Music makes him someone else. He loves it, but he wishes it didn't do that. He wishes he could hear it without becoming it. 

This music...this music does something different. 

Patrick's hair and face and everything stay the same - but that's not to say nothing happens. A soft blue glow starts radiating off him as if it's under his skin, pulsing with the beat of the music. Patrick gapes at himself. This has never happened before. 

Joe stops playing and screams. "What the hell?"

The light fades with the music, and Patrick lightly touches his arm, looking up to Joe in wonder. "Play that again."

"What? No!" Joe shakes his head. "The hell was that? I'm not doing anything until I get an answer!"

"Don't worry, it's usually weirder," Patrick assures him. "Just play it!"

Joe looks like he's going to argue, but instead he sighs and plays the music again. 

The soft blue glow returns. Patrick brushes his hand over his hand, marveling at the pale light radiating from it until Joe stops playing again and asks, "Okay, what the fuck?"

"Uh, it's a long story," Patrick says nervously, suddenly realizing that he's forced himself to explain this. 

"I'm listening," Joe says. 

Patrick bites his lip. "It's - music - well, it doesn't usually do _that_. Usually, it - it changes me and it's like I _become_ it and this probably sounds so nonsensical to you but I really can't say anything other than...I've never been able to listen to music and still be _myself_ before." He quickly adds, "Uh, plus some cool glowing, I guess."

Joe frowns. "Uh...yeah, that kind of makes no sense to me...I'm just gonna nod slowly and pretend I get it."

"Yeah, sure," Patrick says. 

He wasn't kidding when he'd said he's never been able to listen to music and stay himself. And it's liberating - he can forget about the glowing, that's not important, what matters is he can still be _him_. 

He turns to Joe. "Have you come up with anything else?"

"Uh, kind of?" Joe shrugs, still looking confused. 

Patrick grins at him, longing for the feeling of hearing music and retaining his identity. He can't believe he's doing this, that he would ever _ask_ for music - but he grins wider and says, "Play it."


End file.
